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A Welland youth has been charged with assault causing bodily harm in connection with an attack during a minor hockey game at Welland Arena in February.

Niagara Regional Police say the victim, whom they have not identified, sustained a broken nose that required surgery plus several other injuries as a result of "an unprovoked brutal attack," during the minor hockey game.

Police issued a media release Tuesday, saying their investigation led to the arrest of one youth.

Sgt. Paul Blakely, who investigated the incident, said the victim, who was visiting the city from another community for the hockey game, has fully recovered from the incident.

"He's fine."

In addition to the broken nose, Blakely said the victim has a "minor concussion and a few scrapes and bruises, but he's fine."

Welland Minor Hockey Association president Doug Thomson said he wasn't aware of the incident, and couldn't comment on it specifically.

While fighting is not something minor hockey condones or encourages, fights happen, he said.

"You can't control all the kids," Thomson said.

"There's going to be situations when fighting's going to happen. That's why there's referees on the ice."

Usually, those referees can intervene and break up fights before they escalate to the point where someone is injured.

"If someone's getting an advantage, the referees step in before it gets too far."

In the past, he said players have been given major suspensions for fighting.

When it's a matter being investigated by police, Thomson said a player would usually be suspended during the investigation.

After a police investigation, he said the Ontario Minor Hockey Association could then take further disciplinary action.

"Until the police are finished with it, now that they've gotten involved in it, we're hands-off. We're not going to interfere with a police investigation."

Thomson wondered how the fight occurred in the first place.

"Most of our kids are pretty good. They don't usually go looking for it (fights). They won't back down from it, but ..."

The name of the charged youth cannot be released under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Blakely said he also could not disclose the age of the players, the teams that were playing or the specific date of the hockey game since it could lead to the identification of the youth who was arrested.

Welland Minor Hockey Association director Tim McKinnon said as long as the matter was before the police, he could not comment.